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Book Description

"Heart-racing, non-stop action that is difficult to put down."-Mystery News on Bodyguard of Lies

"Thelma and Louise go clandestine."-Kirkus Reviews on Bodyguard of Lies

“In wartime, truth is so precious that she should always be attended by a bodyguard of lies.” Winston Churchill

Who polices the world of covert operations?

Enter the Cellar, the most secret spy organization hiding deep within the United States.

Two women become inextricably involved in a dangerous web of lies, intrigue, and betrayal as they fight for their lives and the safety of their country. Neeley is the lover and protégé of Gant, a Cellar operative, and is trying to pick up the pieces of her life after Gant's death and unveil a mystery that Gant always held close to his chest. Hannah, a housewife, is equally lost after her husband simply disappears. They soon learn that the men in their lives shared a dangerous secret, one some very powerful people would shed blood to protect. Neeley and Hannah's chance meeting sets a decades-old plan into motion and puts their lives at risk.

They couldn't come from more different worlds, but as they try to escape the people who seem determined to kill them, Hannah and Neeley discover they have at least one thing in common: they've both been living a lie.

Crisscrossing the globe, the women find themselves in a deadly game of survival, one that they must win in order to keep the United States safe not only from vicious acts of terror, but from its own powers that be. And if they ever hope to uncover the truth about the lovers they thought they knew, Neeley and Hannah first must learn the truth about themselves. But when the Cellar is involved, there is no such thing as coincidence, and the truth is always protected by a Bodyguard of Lies.

Book II in the Cellar Series: LOST GIRLS

Follow Hannah and Neeley's story as they team up with an elite special forces team who take care of the things that go bump in the night. A fast-past thrilling series by Bob Mayer: NIGHTSTALKERS

"Heart-racing, non-stop action that is difficult to put down."-Mystery News on Bodyguard of Lies

"Thelma and Louise go clandestine."-Kirkus Reviews on Bodyguard of Lies

“In wartime, truth is so precious that she should always be attended by a bodyguard of lies.” Winston Churchill

Who polices the world of covert operations?

Enter the Cellar, the most secret spy organization hiding deep within the United States.

Two women become inextricably involved in a dangerous web of lies, intrigue, and betrayal as they fight for their lives and the safety of their country. Neeley is the lover and protégé of Gant, a Cellar operative, and is trying to pick up the pieces of her life after Gant's death and unveil a mystery that Gant always held close to his chest. Hannah, a housewife, is equally lost after her husband simply disappears. They soon learn that the men in their lives shared a dangerous secret, one some very powerful people would shed blood to protect. Neeley and Hannah's chance meeting sets a decades-old plan into motion and puts their lives at risk.

They couldn't come from more different worlds, but as they try to escape the people who seem determined to kill them, Hannah and Neeley discover they have at least one thing in common: they've both been living a lie.

Crisscrossing the globe, the women find themselves in a deadly game of survival, one that they must win in order to keep the United States safe not only from vicious acts of terror, but from its own powers that be. And if they ever hope to uncover the truth about the lovers they thought they knew, Neeley and Hannah first must learn the truth about themselves. But when the Cellar is involved, there is no such thing as coincidence, and the truth is always protected by a Bodyguard of Lies.

Book II in the Cellar Series: LOST GIRLS

Follow Hannah and Neeley's story as they team up with an elite special forces team who take care of the things that go bump in the night. A fast-past thrilling series by Bob Mayer: NIGHTSTALKERS

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Bob Mayer is a West Point Graduate, Former Green Beret, CEO of Cool Gus Publishing and a NY Times Bestselling Author. He has had over 50 books published. He has sold over four million books, and is in demand as a team-building, life-changing, and leadership speaker and consultant for his Who Dares Wins: The Green Beret Way concept, which he translated into Write It Forward: a holistic program teaching writers how to be authors. He is also the Co-Creator of Cool Gus Publishing, which does both eBooks and Print On Demand, so he has experience in both traditional and non-traditional publishing. His books have hit the NY Times, Publishers Weekly, Wall Street Journal and numerous other bestseller lists. His book The Jefferson Allegiance, was released independently and reached #2 overall in sales on Nook. Bob Mayer grew up in the Bronx. After high school, he entered West Point where he learned about the history of our military and our country. During his four years at the Academy and later in the Infantry, Mayer questioned the idea of "mission over men." When he volunteered and passed selection for the Special Forces as a Green Beret, he felt more at ease where the men were more important than the mission. Mayer's obsession with mythology and his vast knowledge of the military and Special Forces, mixed with his strong desire to learn from history, is the foundation for his science fiction series Atlantis, Area 51 and Psychic Warrior. Mayer is a master at blending elements of truth into all of his thrillers, leaving the reader questioning what is real and what isn't. He took this same passion and created thrillers based in fact and riddled with possibilities. His unique background in the Special Forces gives the reader a sense of authenticity and creates a reality that makes the reader wonder where fact ends and fiction begins. In his historical fiction novels, Mayer blends actual events with fictional characters. He doesn't change history, but instead changes how history came into being. Mayer's military background, coupled with his deep desire to understand the past and how it affects our future, gives his writing a rich flavor not to be missed.

This is the first time I've read Bob Mayer's writing, but it won't be my last. His ability to weave a story that is global in nature, with international political implications, while also incorporating the most intimate of situations, such as a spouse's betrayal and a mother's love, is something that will keep you turning the pages to see what happens next. His characters are interesting and three dimensional. Bob takes the time to engage you and make you care what happens, from the opening scenes where Nero, Gant, Nelley, and Hannah are introduced until the very end where you meet Jesse and Bobbie. Don't forget Racine either. A villian that you would kill yourself if you only could.

At the end of the day, it is a book that will keep you coming back for more and then delivers with a fantastic ending. I recommend this book without reservation. Buy it, read it, enjoy the ride.

In BODYGUARD OF LIES by Bob Mayer (ePublished 2010) hidden deep within the United States, the Cellar is a secret spy organization who polices the world of covert operations. Two women from completely different walks of life are thrown into a dangerous fight for their lives like a modern day Thelma and Louise.

Neeley is the lover and apprentice of one of the Cellar's now dead operative, Anthony Gant. After his death, Neeley searches out the mysteries that Gant left behind. Hannah is a rich housewife whose husband mysteriously leaves her and is connected to Gant's secret. When they meet a plan is set in motion to uncover the dangerous secrets that someone high up in the government is trying to keep hidden.

Neeley is a sexy, dangerous assassin who seems to not have a conscience. But as Hannah talks and opens her up, we see the layered person that she really is. I found her more intriguing than Lisbeth in "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo."

Hannah is a surprising character to the degree that I need to read the second book to see how her life pans out. She starts out a depressed, everyday-average housewife whose husband disappears. When Neeley finds her they are forced together to escape death. (I won't say why, because that will spoil it!) But Hannah handles being pursued by dangerous, hired gun, Racine, sent by the Cellar, like she might handle a mix up at the grocery store.

Racine, the crazy assassin chasing them, is seriously screwed up. Everything he does is creepy, even the tone of his narrative creeped me out. (Note to self: stay away from guys who break into houses naked!)

BODYGUARD OF LIES is very well told and the plot is exciting and fresh. With a dash of intrigue and a pinch of thriller, this book held me to the very last page. The first 25% of the book is character setup but very worth it for the investment in Neeley and Hannah. If you can get past that, you'll love the rest. I love endings that I don't see coming. The end is guaranteed to surprise.

The only negative I'd have to say about this book is the ugly cover. But, of course, never judge a book by its cover. But for visual people--such as myself--I would not have looked twice at this book because of the bland cover.

I'd rate this book at a 4. It was very good because of the surprises and the deep characters. I'm headed to Amazon to download Book 2 on Kindle: Lost Girls (Black Ops).

Once who's who is established, you won't want to stop reading. You will find yourself stealing reading time from your usual day's activities. Is anything as it seems? What does the Cellar want? Neely is one surprise after another and the action just keeps rolling. Her legacy from Gant leaves her savvy to the mechanics of Covert Ops what she needs to survive while it also leaves her needing more of something she has yet to determine. Hannah comes alive under Neely's tutelage. Racine just keeps coming and cannot be deterred from his obsession. The Cellar has it's own set of rules with an agenda yet to be determined! I have read three other titles that were co-authored by Bob Mayer and solo this time, he has kept my attention and kept me entertained each time. I am ready for another Bob Mayer read!

Just finished a free read of Bob Mayer's Bodyguard of Lies, a great promotional tool from Who Dares Win Publishing, a publishing company in its pilot year. All the author (and WDWP co-founder) asked in return was an honest review of the work. As an aside, for those interested in a less traditional route for publishing non-fiction or backlists of titles, I strongly suggest taking a good look at WDWP's website and awesome blog.

Here is the story background, directly from WDWP's website:

Two women become inextricably involved in a dangerous web of lies, intrigue, and betrayal as they fight for their lives and the safety of their country. Neeley is the lover and protégé of Gant, a Cellar operative, and is trying to pick up the pieces of her life after Gant's death and unveil a mystery that Gant always held close to his chest. Hannah, a housewife, is equally lost after her husband simply disappears. They soon learn that the men in their lives shared a dangerous secret, one some very powerful people would shed blood to protect. Neeley and Hannah's chance meeting sets a decades-old plan into motion and puts their lives at risk.

They couldn't come from more different worlds, but as they try to escape the people who seem determined to kill them, Hannah and Neeley discover they have at least one thing in common: they've both been living a lie.

In my humble retelling, this suspense novel is about two women, each impacted by the Cellar, the underground organization dedicated to "policing the world's covert operations...the most secret spy organization hiding deep within the United States." This Thelma and Louise style story kept me turning the pages, the chemistry between the female characters being my favorite aspect. I also liked the devotion Neely showed to the deceased Gant, the lover and Cellar agent who shaped Neely's backstory, and the admiration she had no choice but to show to Hannah, the woman with whom circumstance paired Neely.

This book is loaded with plot, some of the best chapter openers and descriptions I've come across yet and a few absolutely seamless transitions from flashback to present story world.

*Chapter 2 began with, "Neely had no idea killing someone could be so boring."

*On page 72, Racine "wiped the distaste from his face."

*Hannah "weighed what any self-conscious woman of means would weigh," as told from her point of view.

Via writing that was crisp, clear and to the point, Hannah's inner dialogue connected me immediately to this character. I would have liked her and Neely's characters--especially their emotions--explored on a deeper level, but was particularly satisfied with how Hannah was changed by her story circumstances.

This female reader and author of romance initially found all the talk about weapons and ammunition a bit heavy and even a bit confusing. (I may have found it a bit more confusing if I hadn't been exposed to the subject through attendance at workshops. This brought me back to the thought that all the detail might be a bit much for someone with no exposure at all, but that, of course, is just MHO.) I also found Neely's POV to be a bit masculine but appropriate, given her backstory and the challenges she faced. My on-all-the-time inner editor also wondered if the POV character would stop to note all the detail the author included. (I must admit, however, when I connected that the author might have first-hand knowledge of many of the historical events referred to throughout the book, my interest was completely caught.) Nero's backstory--he ran the Cellar--also gave me the feel I'd gotten a true inside view to being a POW and then an "insider" during a war.

I'll also confess I had to stretch credibility quite a bit to make it through to the end, but I liked Hannah and Neely enough to want to know how things turned out. The ending was a bit abrupt and hard to swallow but, now that I'm distanced from it, I can see why the author concluded the way he did. Many questions were left unanswered. Some of them may be answered in Lost Girls, a related account, and one I just may read next.

One thing I especially liked was the serious questions raised about "security," and how what we perceive it to be may not be necessarily so. Among the book's themes was: "Nothing is as it seems; trust no one." Also notable was how recording historical events is necessary in order to not repeat the same mistakes as well as to help shape the present and future. The author's speculations inspired a variety of possibilities connected to fairly contemporary world events. Since I'm not huge on current events but was familiar with the happenings cited (as in, I knew they'd occurred but didn't know much beyond that) I became so intrigued I stopped my reading to look up many of them online in order to experience the story better. (If nothing else, I'm a more knowledge person because of Bodyguard of Lies. So who spread that nasty rumor that says fiction doesn't make you smarter?)

More About the Author

Bob Mayer is a NY Times Bestselling author, graduate of West Point, former Green Beret (including commanding an A-Team) and the feeder of two Yellow Labs, most famously Cool Gus. He's had over 60 books published including the #1 series Area 51, Atlantis and The Green Berets. Born in the Bronx, having traveled the world (usually not tourist spots), he now lives peacefully with his wife, and said labs, at Write on the River, TN.